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Monday, March 20, 2017

"Trumps vetting good for the dogs, why not people..?" 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #176)

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer
 and amongst other things lived in a tent outdoors for 7 years.
Rosen currently resides on the tropical island of Kaua'i
with his best friend and spiritual adviser Ivanka Da Dog!
Check out my new Costco hat! 


Kimo's world's #176~Blog #1913
This is why one must fact check the main stream media.
 German Chancellor Angela Merkel and 
President Trump shook hands many times during
their recent visit in Washington. Most main stream media outlets
made a big deal that Trump refused to shake hands?
Bottom line during one question and answer session
President Trump did not hear some reporter in the
distance say, "Hey how about a handshake?"
Do not trust the main stream media!
Trump's vetting good for the dogs, why not people?
This blog also appeared  as an opinion article in the March 25, 2017 edition of the Kauai Garden Island News;




 I find it so ironic that in a state where dogs must be quarantined for up to 120 days before  visiting or moving to Hawaii to protect  disease from spreading-- that Hawaii was the first state to sue President Trump over his  revised executive ordered travel ban which bars new visas for people from six predominantly Muslim countries and temporarily shuts down the U.S. refugee program.




Federal judge in Hawaii puts Trump travel ban on hold
http://thegardenisland.com/news/state-and-regional/federal-judge-in-hawaii-puts-trump-travel-ban-on-hold/article_0960fc97-da83-5ffd-9508-8f193dbe2369.html
 Why does Hawaii have an extreme vetting process for every plant and animal before it can enter the state? I'll answer that myself, to  protect the environment.

The same should hold true for people that come from countries with extreme radical Islamic terrorists. We must vet people too, to keep them from destroying the environment-- the environment being, "We the people."


The liberal progressives insist on protecting the environment, but not its people, go figure?

God Bless all our elected politicians, let there be peace.

This blog also appeared  as an opinion article in the March 25, 2017 edition of the Kauai Garden Island News;

P.S.
Laws for vetting and bringing your dog to Hawaii
http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/animal-quarantine-information-page/


Rosen believes the divided
America will heal. The haters will
after time see that Trump truly
created jobs and made America safer.
Give him time!  I hope so?

                                              
Hana Hou, Encore!





More dakinetalk reading on Donald Trump; (Great reading!)
(All Trump related  blogs by James "Kimo" Rosen unless otherwise indicated)
1-Trumped by "The Donald" 'Obama Da Dog' (Special political edition)
2-Trump supporters must come out of the closet! (Kimo's world #118)
3-Trump, the election and the Jewish connection...(Kimo's world #119)
4-Trump-fulling... (Kimo's world #120)
5-A poem about Donald J. Trump...
6- Trumps Failing businesses are his strengths...
7-Extra! Extra! Read All About It!--Trump Hijacks Republican party into Hell
8-Trump and the race for President, a nasty one fueled by the media (Carrie Eckert)
9-Win or Lose, Could Trump Be A Secret Agent For Hillary
10-Raccoon's and Trump~Larry Arruda~(Source)
11-Definition of Trump
12-Hillary and Donald Trump walk into a bakery
13-Kaepernick and Obama, trump this Kool-Aid
14-Hoping one thing will remain after the election
15-Undecided voters
16-Don't be surprised if Mr. Trump is hired
17-Biggest Hail Marry of all time, Obama Da Dog to change name to Ivanka
18-Mazol Tov Mr. Trump!
19-Just Give Trump a Chance
20-Wishing Hillary well and why all the protesting?
21-The election is over (and)Trump is our captain and is on our side..!
22-Trump's Political Chess
23-Who would you rather kiss goodnight, Obama or Ivanka..?
24-Bet you thought I was going to blog about Trump
25-Fake News~It's hard to believe the news these days
26-Heed the words of Michelle Obama
27-Trump era off to shaky start
28-It was a beautiful Inauguration yet I am scared for my country
29-Fasten your seat-belts for the Trump era
30-America's second civil war has begun
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Thursday, March 16, 2017

"Enraptured by a Rat..." 'Harmony Bentosino' (Guest-blogger)

 Welcome back Dakinetalk's good friend 'Harmony!'   
Harmony recently completed  her Masters degree in counseling.
Harmony  resides in Kapolei, Hawaii on the island of Oahu....Harmony blogs about her recent adventure!
Photo above of Harmony with Rattini

Enraptured by a Rat
 

It is strange that I find myself enraptured by a pet rat who is afraid of me; who scurries away when I approach his cage. He jumps on his wheel trying to put distance between us, but he never gets
very far. His name is Rattini. He used to be wild and was captured by my boyfriend, Dan, with a live trap, when he ventured indoors. He used to live in a tiny cage without a wheel, and I felt sorry for him. My boyfriend didn’t want him and talked about releasing him back into the wild. I said no because I knew he couldn’t survive on his own. I researched and learned outdoor rats live less than a year, and Rattini had already been living in his cramped quarters for more than two years. There are also many feral cats meandering in the vicinity of his neighborhood. I learned that indoor rats can live two – three years.
Guess how Harmony came up
with the name, Rattini?
Photo above. Rattini


 I didn’t think I wanted a pet. I didn’t want the responsibility, but I wanted Rattini to lead a good life. I told my boyfriend I would care for him if he bought him a spacious cage with a wheel. He did, and that is how I happened to become the new owner of a pet rat.

 It took Rattini a day or two to figure out how to use his wheel. Before he mastered it, he was restless and kept trying to jump out of his cage which is enclosed by a screen on top. He actually
turned summer salts in the air, when he leaped. Other times, he would try to stand on top of his wheel to climb out, but the tiniest shift in his weight caused the wheel to turn and throw him off. Once he figured out how to navigate the wheel, he lost interest in jumping out.
Check out the video of Rattini spinning in his wheel;
https://www.facebook.com/harmony.bentosino/videos/10211999162675237/

Rats are nocturnal creatures which means he sleeps in the day and runs on his wheel at night. The problem was that his wheel was squeaky. It didn’t seem that noisy in the day time, but at 2 am, the
sound was as so loud I was afraid it would wake the neighbors!


  They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, that was certainly true. His wheel no longer squeaked, but it wasn’t anchored down, and the force of his running pushed the wheel so that it knocked against the glass walls of his cage. Masking tape solved that disturbance, and now Rattini can race to his heart’s content which seems to be all night long! No wonder he sleeps so well in the day. Dan thinks we should hook up the wheel to a generator and save on electricity!


 He loves to eat fruit of all different kinds. I have yet to discover a fruit he dislikes. I also enjoy fruit and share mine with him. His pets store food is sunflower seeds which he cracks open. His food
seemed humanly palatable to me. I tried it, and; it tasted just like sunflower seeds! So he shares my food, and I share his food. That endears him to me all the more!

 When you care for a creature, you naturally bond to it, and Rattini has been teaching me the meaning of true love. True love is when you accept a person or animal the way they are and don’t
expect them to change- just for you. I can accept that Rattini is not affectionate and might even try to bite me if I handled him. That’s because he was born a wild rat! I am grateful that I can enable him to live much longer than he would have lived if he stayed wild. Caring for him takes a lot less effort than owning a dog, and if I want affection, I can always let my boyfriend’s two hyper-active dogs jump all over me!

Harmony is a true free spirit as seen here
swimming with the dolphins on Oahu!



Hana Hou, Encore



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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

"They paved Paradise but please keep our Post office open..!" 'Larry Arruda' (A Kapuna speaks)


Please welcome guest-blogger Mr. Larry Arruda. A certified Kapuna!  ;-)
 Larry was born and raised in Lihu'e Kauai.Graduated from Wilcox Elementary in 1959
and Kauai High School in 1963. Larry is a Vietnam war veteran. Larry served 30 years in Costa Mesa California  as a highway design administrator. Larry Retired in 2002 and moved back home to Kauai in 2003.

 Editors note;
For those outside of Hawaii,
Kapuna in Hawaiian  is an elder, a senior citizen,
 someone with wisdom whose been around.
Many functions offer Kapuna and Keiki (child) discounts.

They paved Paradise but please keep our Post office open
Check out  Hawaii News now cover story on Saving the Lihue Post Office!
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34343474/usps-considering-closing-lihue-post-office

 The town of Lihue is no longer the “Heart of Kauai.” It used to be. But no longer. It has changed dramatically over the years.


 I can go way back to memories of Lihue for almost 70 years. Almost 72 if my memory as a baby was possible.

The old Lihue, the “Heart of Kauai,” was the post office, Lihue Store, Tip Top Cafe and Bakery, George’s Service Station and the Lihue Plantation Office, the library, Sharon Sue, the County Building and the courthouse, the large baseball field which is still there and even a Sears store. Dairy Queen, our hang-out on weekends. Kress Store and Hamura’s Saimin. Garden Island Motors and The Garden Island Publishing Company. The Lihue Theater, the bowling alley and Isenberg gym and field where all our Friday night football games were played. Yukimura Store, Yoneji Store, Kawakami Store, Kauai Theatre, and of course Paisano Bar.
Lihue Post office back in the day.
Public usage photo


 At about 3:30 every weekday afternoon, to aid the movement of pau hana traffic (no such thing as traffic signals), a police officer that really knew how to direct traffic, stood in the middle of the main intersection in Lihue and enthusiastically and efficiently kept the traffic moving. That main intersection was where Haleko Road and Rice Street intersect. From there, going straight across Rice Street was the beginning of Kuhio Highway.

 Every Christmas season, colored Christmas lights were strung zig-zag across Rice Street and Kuhio Highway. The large Kamani tree that was at the corner of Lihue Store at that main intersection was decorated with colored Christmas lights.

 Frequent parades went from the ball field near where Wilcox School now sits, down to Rice Street, then up Rice Street to the main intersection by Lihue Store, then up Kuhio Highway all the way to Isenberg field.


 Those were great, colorful parades with great bands playing great music.

 That Lihue was the “Heart of Kauai.”

 The Lihue Post Office was built in 1939. My parents and my two older sisters moved into a plantation home, literally a stone’s throw from that post office, about 5 years after it was built. We had a PO box there which was our mailing address until we were forced to move out of Lihue Town and left that location in 1962. Our PO Box number was 4. Not sure how my Dad got that number but it was always so easy to remember.

 So the first 18 years of my life was growing up in Lihue Town. Rode my bicycle up and down Rice Street and Kuhio Highway. I sold The Garden Island newspapers on the streets of Lihue Town, mowed lawns for 50 cents an hour for a couple of homes along Rice Street. Hung out at Dairy Queen with the gang, did drag racing at track to track, ate saimin at Hamura’s and played down on the railroad track.

 Yep. That was a long time ago. And I’m so glad and proud that I grew up in Lihue Town. People were friendly and had a lot more respect and consideration for one another.


 As I mentioned above, my Dad worked for Lihue Plantation and the home we lived in was owned by Lihue Plantation. In 1962 my Dad was informed that the plantation was going to move our home (literally) and three of the other four homes in our neighborhood up to German Hill by the Lutheran church. That was done in the summer of 1962. And then and there is where the “economic harm” began in Lihue Town.

 The new Lihue Plantation office building was built exactly where our home sat. The First Hawaiian Bank and the Chevron Gas station take up the rest of the area of our old neighborhood. Some years later, Lihue Store and Tip Top were demolished and the buildings that are now occupied by county offices were built. George’s Service station has been a few different restaurants but I believe has now been vacant for a few years. Tip Top Cafe was moved into what used to be a residential neighborhood and is no longer a bakery. The library became the museum, Sharon Sue is gone, Dairy Queen and Kress Store are gone. Where the old bowling alley stood has become a “tourist trap,” and both theaters are still standing but no movies there.

 Yukimura Store, Yoneji Store, Kawakami Store, all gone.

 Then we had a Big Save supermarket in the middle of Lihue Town. A place for local residents to do their weekly shopping. Many residents could easily walk to Big Save. I think most of us locals know what happened to that.

 “Economic harm!” All of it. And who let that happen?

 Since 1962, Lihue Town has been slowly changing under the guise of “progress.”


 Our civic leaders and planners, many of whom we have put into those positions, have failed.

 Some of our current leaders think that they can now save Lihue Town with a $17 million federal grant.

 The grant is a TIGER grant (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery). The county plans to revitalize Rice Street by providing more bicycle lanes, more accommodations for pedestrians, one lane of traffic in each direction and a dual left turn lane in the middle. A concept that is quite antiquated and used only in very small towns across America, and seldom used on main thoroughfares through a town such as Lihue. We used to refer to this dual left lane as a “suicide lane.”

 This “revitalization” is a very feeble attempt at “Generating Economic Recovery” and will undoubtedly create tremendous inconvenience to those who wish to drive a vehicle through Lihue Town. Drive down Rice Street now. Do you see all the bicycles and pedestrians that have nowhere to go? I guess they’re going on “Build it and they will come.” Nah! That ain’t gonna work.

 The Lihue Post Office is one of the few establishments left on Rice Street where people need to go. Of course it’s conveniently located where many can walk to it. However, I think most of those who walk to the Post Office are county employees from across the street.


 Personally, I’d like to see the Lihue Post Office stay right where it is. And use part of the TIGER grant to “revitalize” that area by reconstructing and widening Kele Street and addressing the parking situation in that entire area. Then use the rest of the TIGER grant to maintain other existing bicycle lanes around the island. All bicycle lanes are required to be 5 feet wide, unobstructed. Anything less than that is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

 This is just my opinion, but my opinion is based on growing up in the middle of Lihue Town and more than 30 years of experience designing, building and maintaining highways.

 P.S.
Check out Larry's guest opinion
commentary in the  03-14-17 edition of the
Kauai Garden Island News,
all about Traffic and how to improve the problem!
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/a-few-solutions-to-help-traffic-flow/article_38d35d0e-6170-5d72-b53a-267212bd474e.html

Traffic in Downtown Kapa'a is a real problem.
Larry points out in his guest commentary in the
Garden Island news, that ironically Kapa'a in Hawaiian means “The Stuck.”
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/a-few-solutions-to-help-traffic-flow/article_38d35d0e-6170-5d72-b53a-267212bd474e.html

Hana Hou, (Encore)

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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

"Traffic,Traffic,Traffic, Kauai's Number 1 problem..!" 'Glenn Mickens' ( Kauai County Watchdog)

Glenn Mickens has lived on Kauai  with his wife Ruth for the last 26 years. Born July 26, 1930 in Wilmar, California, USA) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in four games (two of which were starts) for the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. He also played for five years in Japan, from 1959 until 1963 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. There, he compiled a record of 45–53 with a 2.54 ERA.  Glenn also  served in the Army for 2 years and coached baseball at UCLA for 25 years. 
Last but not least Glenn would really like to see Kaua'i give the county manager style of Government a chance.
Above photo of Glenn Mickens courtesy of Kauai Garden island news, used with permission...



Traffic,Traffic,Traffic, Kauai's Number 1 problem

Mr. Mickens is locally known
as one of Kauai county's
political watchdogs
and Nitpickers...
Mahalos Glenn!
                 

 Whether it is our local people or visitors, the number one problem that they list as needing fixing is our traffic. 

 But this is not a problem that started yesterday and hasn't given our "leaders" time to correct.
Downtown Kapaa, known as
the Kapaa crawl to locals

 It is a problem that goes back decades ago when brighter minds had the foresight to propose alternate routes on Kauai to handle future population and vehicle travel instead of having basically one road that circles our Island. 

 But selfish and greedy people who believed that alternate routes would hurt their businesses stopped these plans from happening and thus we have the horrendous traffic that hurts everyone and gets worse by the day.

 So what are the people we elect and hire today doing to address this our #1 problem? They keep hiring planners and consultants to tell us that we need to get drivers out of their vehicles and walk, bike, bus or shuttle to get to their destinations, an unrealistic dream that defies any practicality.


 People capable of driving need and want their vehicles and nothing is going to make them abandon them. Whether commuting to work, using a truck or car for their job or simply having that vehicle available any time they want or need 
it, they are going to keep it.

 So who and why are those responsible for the welfare of Kauai hiring "experts" to give us answers to our problems that are, at best, a myth? Look at the bike lanes being put along our roads---FOR WHAT when few or anyone ever uses  them!! And those lanes are not only impractical for alleviating traffic but by narrowing the street width it limits the vehicle lanes and actually exacerbates the problem.
With just one major road on
Kaua'i, just one accident
can delay traffic for hours
 

 We have two excellent examples of why adding vehicle lanes and getting more alternate routes will work--facts and not dreams.

 The contra-flo lanes have worked well since a wiser mind put them into use. Proving that by adding one more lane, traffic at peak hours will flow better. But at a cost of $3000 a day we have spent millions of dollars over the years using the contra-flo whereas other lanes could have been added for less.

 And, the Kapaa bypass road has served as a great example of an alternate route alleviating traffic off Kuhio Highway and it took 9 months to build without an EIS since it was an existing cane haul road, meaning that with proper leadership many or our cane roads could serve the same purpose---facts and not dreams.
Traffic at the round about
trying to access the Bypass road


 These so called planners, designers and consultants and the people who hired them cannot show us factual proof of another municipality the size and geographical location of Kauai that has eliminated traffic by walking, biking and busing--political games at its worst!!

 Shouldn't we be taking a page out of a successful play book like the contra-flo and by pass road instead of wasting time, money and effort on a dream?


P.S.
Check out Glenn's Wikipedia page;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Mickens
Editor's note, Dakinetalk guest bloggers do not necessarily represent the opinions of dakinetalk. Guest bloggers are given space to express their beliefs and or opinions. We feel there are many roads and like to give people space to express their thoughts,after-all that's what dakine is...
Aloha, James "Kimo" Rosen---Blogger-n-chief, dakinetalk blog---




Kapa'a Voggy Sunrise
From my lanai
A mosquito on the left middle
watches the Sunrise!
i-Phone photo by James "Kimo Rosen

Hana Hou, (Encore) 
Kimo Rosen has the Traffic situation figured out!
Kauai, the best weather on the planet!  Drive the
the bike/Pedestrian trail. That Kimo guy is one smart cookie! ;-)



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Monday, March 13, 2017

"Never a dull moment with Trump as Potus..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #175)

James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer
 and amongst other things lived in a tent outdoors for 7 years.
Rosen currently resides on the tropical island of Kaua'i
with his best friend and spiritual adviser Ivanka Da Dog!
Throwback photo  of Kimo Rosen from  1986 Homer Alaksa


Kimo's world's #175~Blog #1909


Never a dull moment with Trump as Potus


One must admit there is never a dull moment with Donald J. Trump as President.


 Whether it's the Russian election conspiracy, choosing whom he speaks to in the media and hating on fake news, the recent Obama wiretapping theory or that his crowds at the inauguration were larger than Obama's--the list is endless... 

 Does the President do this to distract the media and Americans from other business he is doing, or does he believe America just loves a great reality show and he has brought it to the forefront of the White-house?


 Many think a reality show should not be in the confines of the  White-house. There has always been a reality show in the White-house, just not one with as great of ratings as the present one.

 Politics, news, acting, are all about ratings. President Trump is the only one whom doesn't lie about ratings and actually tells it like it is.  How much of what he says may seem like fluff but in actuality is true?

  I believe many of the things the frantic left and media are freaking out on and believing that Trump has lost his mind will wind up to be true, just wait and see.


 And the winner for this years best reality show is, drum roll--- Donald J.Trump!

 Remember, he who laughs last, laughs best! 
Rosen believes the divided
America will heal. The haters will
after time see that Trump truly
created jobs and made America safer.
Give him time!  

                                               
Hana Hou, Encore!



More dakinetalk reading on Donald Trump; (Great reading!)
(All Trump related  blogs by James "Kimo" Rosen unless otherwise indicated)
1-Trumped by "The Donald" 'Obama Da Dog' (Special political edition)
2-Trump supporters must come out of the closet! (Kimo's world #118)
3-Trump, the election and the Jewish connection...(Kimo's world #119)
4-Trump-fulling... (Kimo's world #120)
5-A poem about Donald J. Trump...
6- Trumps Failing businesses are his strengths...
7-Extra! Extra! Read All About It!--Trump Hijacks Republican party into Hell
8-Trump and the race for President, a nasty one fueled by the media (Carrie Eckert)
9-Win or Lose, Could Trump Be A Secret Agent For Hillary
10-Raccoon's and Trump~Larry Arruda~(Source)
11-Definition of Trump
12-Hillary and Donald Trump walk into a bakery
13-Kaepernick and Obama, trump this Kool-Aid
14-Hoping one thing will remain after the election
15-Undecided voters
16-Don't be surprised if Mr. Trump is hired
17-Biggest Hail Marry of all time, Obama Da Dog to change name to Ivanka
18-Mazol Tov Mr. Trump!
19-Just Give Trump a Chance
20-Wishing Hillary well and why all the protesting?
21-The election is over (and)Trump is our captain and is on our side..!
22-Trump's Political Chess
23-Who would you rather kiss goodnight, Obama or Ivanka..?
24-Bet you thought I was going to blog about Trump
25-Fake News~It's hard to believe the news these days
26-Heed the words of Michelle Obama
27-Trump era off to shaky start
28-It was a beautiful Inauguration yet I am scared for my country
29-Fasten your seat-belts for the Trump era
30-America's second civil war has begun
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Friday, March 10, 2017

"What are those yellow spots on my eyes..? 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Friday)

Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst New York
( A suburb of Buffalo, N.Y.)
 and has worked in the ophthalmology
 field of medicine for nearly 40 years

What are those yellow spots on my eyes

Many patients come into our office for a routine eye examination  and  have noticed a “finding” on their eyes.

   They notice a painless raised area on either side of their iris (the colored part) and want some answers.

 More so, in hot climates  in the world especially near the equator,  people are more prone to  developing what are called "pinguecula".

 The small raised yellowish areas that develop on the white part of the eye,  the sclera , are caused from UV and sun exposure.   Also people that spend a great deal of time in the sun without eye protection,  may develop the same findings.   

 Pinguecula  by themselves, are not dangerous and if bothersome, may be removed.  They can become enlarged and irritated at times and may  become  unsightly.  They do  not carry   a   serious  diagnosis and can be treated with prescription eye drops to calm them if red and irritated.


 If removed surgically, the eye will be sore for a short time and can be soothed with drops.  The surgical procedure is usually done in an out patient setting  under a local anesthetic. 

 The growths  may return some day, especially if one returns to worshiping the sun again.  




Hana Hou, (Encore)






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